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Tufftork K46 Transmission problems??
#1
C
canlis
C
canlis
Has anyone experienced any transmission problems with the Tufftork K46 transmission on any of your lawn tractors? I'm thinking about buying a Snapper NXT2346 Model:2690847(23hp,46") for $1999 which has this transmission. However, in past discussions on this forum, I thought there were some issues with this transmission. Please comment. Thanks
#2
J
Jimmyjo
J
Jimmyjo
I have a Snapper L200 (same as Simplicity Regent) with 145hrs on it and no problems yet. I think most of the problems come from over use. I mean pulling more weight or doing something above the limit of it's specifications. Keep in mind that it's in a yard tractor not a garden tractor.
#3
pugaltitude
pugaltitude
The Tuff Torq K46 is probably the most common box fitted to lawn and garden tractors.
The usual problems is not being able to drive up hills due to the seals with the piston pumps being worn.
Sometimes a oil change helps and make sure the drive belt is tight at all times but if drive problems usually its a new Box.
The usual problems is not being able to drive up hills due to the seals with the piston pumps being worn.
Sometimes a oil change helps and make sure the drive belt is tight at all times but if drive problems usually its a new Box.
#4
066
066
I have another rideon mower in my workshop today with a snapped axle it must be the 10th or 12th axle i've replaced in the past 4 years (some machines both axles have been done at different times)
the machines are a localy made product called Kingcat Cheetah, a rear engine machine with a fabricated 40, 42,or 46 inch decks, now these machines have been built in this country for years & have a reputation for being built tough & long lasting (the term built like a battleship keeps coming to mind.) for years they were built with small cutter decks & single cyl Briggs engines with Peerless 800 series or mst 205 trans - with no problems, then about 4 or 5 years ago the company changed hands & someone thaught lets make these even better, keep the same chassis put big beefy cutter decks underneath, bolt on a Honda gxv 530, add a electric clutch, wider rear tyres & have it all rolling with Tuff torq K46 plus the weight of the operator which puts the total weight over 300kgs.
every time a axle has snapped it has always been at the end of where the key groove has been machined, which sits well inside the wheel hub, all breakages happen just after the 300 hr mark,
company that makes them dosn't really want to know, i've also sent a few e-mails to Tuff torq u.s.a. but have never had a reply, we just tell the customers that it's just wear'n'tear & they have to pay.
We also sell plenty of Husqvarna machines which have the same trans & have never had a breakage.
the machines are a localy made product called Kingcat Cheetah, a rear engine machine with a fabricated 40, 42,or 46 inch decks, now these machines have been built in this country for years & have a reputation for being built tough & long lasting (the term built like a battleship keeps coming to mind.) for years they were built with small cutter decks & single cyl Briggs engines with Peerless 800 series or mst 205 trans - with no problems, then about 4 or 5 years ago the company changed hands & someone thaught lets make these even better, keep the same chassis put big beefy cutter decks underneath, bolt on a Honda gxv 530, add a electric clutch, wider rear tyres & have it all rolling with Tuff torq K46 plus the weight of the operator which puts the total weight over 300kgs.
every time a axle has snapped it has always been at the end of where the key groove has been machined, which sits well inside the wheel hub, all breakages happen just after the 300 hr mark,
company that makes them dosn't really want to know, i've also sent a few e-mails to Tuff torq u.s.a. but have never had a reply, we just tell the customers that it's just wear'n'tear & they have to pay.
We also sell plenty of Husqvarna machines which have the same trans & have never had a breakage.
#6
B
brandt
Well thanks for the Info: I have a craftsman 5500 Monster tractor Series, That I Just found out is a Glorified Lawn Tractor, Not the Garden Tractor I Thought I Was Buying! The Sears Rep Said It is a Good GARDEN Tractor and should last 10 to 12 Years, Well after 120 Hrs the Hydr unit went Out! No Warranty Left! I got Hood winked and Ripped Off By SEARS, To no Avail Sears will not Help Nor Do they care about Misleading the Consumers into thinking they are Buying a Garden Tractor, Hell it Looks Like ONE! And Sears said it would be big enough to mow my one and half acres. Kept Excellent Up Keep on it, Cleaned it after Every Use and Stored it Indoors, It was my Baby! It's A PIECE OF JUNK! Thanks HUSQVARNA You Manufacture Them and Installed The Lower Grade Hydr Unit In THem! Tuff Torq is Innocent in this I Talked to them, They Say These Companies Do This All The Time! So Sears You Got Me This Time! Not Anymore Business From Me Or Some of My Family Members! Now I Know Why Your Company Is Having Problems, You GUYS Use To Be A Reputable Company! Your Not Anymore! Very Rude! So Stay Away From Sears Lawn & Garden Units, They Don't Back There Product!
B
brandt
Go tractorbynet.com ,they had good thread on this trans repair ,and where to by parts.
Well thanks for the Info: I have a craftsman 5500 Monster tractor Series, That I Just found out is a Glorified Lawn Tractor, Not the Garden Tractor I Thought I Was Buying! The Sears Rep Said It is a Good GARDEN Tractor and should last 10 to 12 Years, Well after 120 Hrs the Hydr unit went Out! No Warranty Left! I got Hood winked and Ripped Off By SEARS, To no Avail Sears will not Help Nor Do they care about Misleading the Consumers into thinking they are Buying a Garden Tractor, Hell it Looks Like ONE! And Sears said it would be big enough to mow my one and half acres. Kept Excellent Up Keep on it, Cleaned it after Every Use and Stored it Indoors, It was my Baby! It's A PIECE OF JUNK! Thanks HUSQVARNA You Manufacture Them and Installed The Lower Grade Hydr Unit In THem! Tuff Torq is Innocent in this I Talked to them, They Say These Companies Do This All The Time! So Sears You Got Me This Time! Not Anymore Business From Me Or Some of My Family Members! Now I Know Why Your Company Is Having Problems, You GUYS Use To Be A Reputable Company! Your Not Anymore! Very Rude! So Stay Away From Sears Lawn & Garden Units, They Don't Back There Product!
#7
K
Kerinorg
Hi 066,
Very interesting posting about the Kingcat Cheetah as I am looking at buying a second hand one. Based on your experience. the axles seem to need be re-designed for the stresses.
Can you tell me approx. how much replacing an axle would cost and whether the parts are easy to get?
And also, have you had any experience of a replaced axle only lasting another 300 hours before breaking again?
cheers
K
Kerinorg
I have another rideon mower in my workshop today with a snapped axle it must be the 10th or 12th axle i've replaced in the past 4 years (some machines both axles have been done at different times)
the machines are a localy made product called Kingcat Cheetah, a rear engine machine with a fabricated 40, 42,or 46 inch decks, now these machines have been built in this country for years & have a reputation for being built tough & long lasting (the term built like a battleship keeps coming to mind.) for years they were built with small cutter decks & single cyl Briggs engines with Peerless 800 series or mst 205 trans - with no problems, then about 4 or 5 years ago the company changed hands & someone thaught lets make these even better, keep the same chassis put big beefy cutter decks underneath, bolt on a Honda gxv 530, add a electric clutch, wider rear tyres & have it all rolling with Tuff torq K46 plus the weight of the operator which puts the total weight over 300kgs.
every time a axle has snapped it has always been at the end of where the key groove has been machined, which sits well inside the wheel hub, all breakages happen just after the 300 hr mark,
company that makes them dosn't really want to know, i've also sent a few e-mails to Tuff torq u.s.a. but have never had a reply, we just tell the customers that it's just wear'n'tear & they have to pay.
We also sell plenty of Husqvarna machines which have the same trans & have never had a breakage.
Hi 066,
Very interesting posting about the Kingcat Cheetah as I am looking at buying a second hand one. Based on your experience. the axles seem to need be re-designed for the stresses.
Can you tell me approx. how much replacing an axle would cost and whether the parts are easy to get?
And also, have you had any experience of a replaced axle only lasting another 300 hours before breaking again?
cheers
#8
066
066
Hi, I had another breakage back in January which was only after 40hrs after it was last replaced but it was due to an extra weight issue, so these machines can't handle extra load/weight.
parts so far have been easy to get, price of around $500 for labour, oil, axle, sealant ect...
what part of the country are you in?
parts so far have been easy to get, price of around $500 for labour, oil, axle, sealant ect...
what part of the country are you in?
#9
K
Kerinorg
I'm in Kerikeri. I was looking at buying a second hand Kingcat with a 48inch mower deck. But based on what you have experienced (which seems to be a clear design flaw with the bigger decks, I have instead bought myself an older 32 inch model. It was cheaper too so thanks for the advice. Hope it goes well for a few years.
K
Kerinorg
Hi, I had another breakage back in January which was only after 40hrs after it was last replaced but it was due to an extra weight issue, so these machines can't handle extra load/weight.
parts so far have been easy to get, price of around $500 for labour, oil, axle, sealant ect...
what part of the country are you in?
I'm in Kerikeri. I was looking at buying a second hand Kingcat with a 48inch mower deck. But based on what you have experienced (which seems to be a clear design flaw with the bigger decks, I have instead bought myself an older 32 inch model. It was cheaper too so thanks for the advice. Hope it goes well for a few years.
#10
wjjones
wjjones
I havent had any trouble with mine yet at 181 hrs. I hate the purge procedure you have to go through though.
#11
M
mechanic
I have a Tufftork under a 50" Husqvarna that is 2 years old. Don't remember if it is a 46, but in my opinion I will never buy another mower with that transaxle under it.
M
mechanic
Has anyone experienced any transmission problems with the Tufftork K46 transmission on any of your lawn tractors? I'm thinking about buying a Snapper NXT2346 Model:2690847(23hp,46") for $1999 which has this transmission. However, in past discussions on this forum, I thought there were some issues with this transmission. Please comment. Thanks
I have a Tufftork under a 50" Husqvarna that is 2 years old. Don't remember if it is a 46, but in my opinion I will never buy another mower with that transaxle under it.
#12
D
danwengard
D
danwengard
I have a husquvarna with a tufftorq k46 trans.i rebuilt it with new parts.worked good for 2 weeks.its a total piece of crap.
#13
L
LGT2654
L
LGT2654
Does anyone know if there is a retro-fit to a better transmission? I bought a Husqvarna LGT2654 from Lowes a few years back. I'll say it has a short duty cycle of about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It starts with power (and less full speed than when it was new), then looses power during that time. I cut 2 1/2 acres. My lawn goes from slight grade to steeper grade. Now, I cut the low grade first.
The higher grade will cause the Garden (bs) tractor to quickly loose power to the point of not moving. So, I don't know the real problem. The transmission shows no signs of leakage. I'm questioning if the heavier loads are causing the transmission fluid (oil?) to over heat and loose viscosity??? Should the oil be replaced? Would a higher viscosity oil (thicker oil) improve performance or cause transmission damage?
I appreciate any help. Thanks.
The higher grade will cause the Garden (bs) tractor to quickly loose power to the point of not moving. So, I don't know the real problem. The transmission shows no signs of leakage. I'm questioning if the heavier loads are causing the transmission fluid (oil?) to over heat and loose viscosity??? Should the oil be replaced? Would a higher viscosity oil (thicker oil) improve performance or cause transmission damage?
I appreciate any help. Thanks.
#14
tom3
tom3
Long read but full of good info here:
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/164892-tufftorq-k46-repair-guide-pictures.html
If you are handy a clean out and oil change will prolong the agony some. But these hydros use the same oil for the differential gears and the hydraulic unit. Those gears are made from pressed metal and not up to the task for this, metal particles shear off and grind up the hydraulic unit, losing pressure and power. You'll see this in the old oil and the magnets will be plastered with filings. I put a Peerless 2000 unit in my Deere last summer, took some work and fabrication, works fine so far but it sure is noisy. And they called this model a Silent Trac. Must have a sense of humor over at Tecumseh.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/164892-tufftorq-k46-repair-guide-pictures.html
If you are handy a clean out and oil change will prolong the agony some. But these hydros use the same oil for the differential gears and the hydraulic unit. Those gears are made from pressed metal and not up to the task for this, metal particles shear off and grind up the hydraulic unit, losing pressure and power. You'll see this in the old oil and the magnets will be plastered with filings. I put a Peerless 2000 unit in my Deere last summer, took some work and fabrication, works fine so far but it sure is noisy. And they called this model a Silent Trac. Must have a sense of humor over at Tecumseh.
#15
B
bertsmobile1
Trannies have no seals so rely on very close fit between moving and non moving parts to allow the oil to maintian a seal.
Very small amounts of grit in the oil quickly destroy the surface finish.
Note the previous poster who rebuilt his & it failed in a very short time. This would have been due to dirt & dust that got in during the work.
When I do a tranniy it gets degreased, pressure washed, soda blasted then washed again and that is before the first bolt gets taken out.
The dissasembly gets done in the bathroom only after the room has been hosed out and the door is kept closed the entire time the tranny is in there.
If I have to leave then even in the "damp room" the open box gets covered with a damp shop towel.
Contry to what most posters write the usual culprit for early failure is running the engine too slow rather than controlling the speed with the foot pedals.
Hydro boxes need FULL PRESSURE & FULL OIL FLOW at all times to work properly
The second biggest killer is heat, the box needs to be kept clean and the fan must be in good condition, have all of the blades intact and actually be connected to the input shaft.
I could not count the number of times I get under a mower, grab the fan to find it rotating freely on the shaft because the splines have flogged out or the bolts fallen off.
Then there are the boxes that have enough dirt on them to grow potatoes .
So start by getting under & giving you box a good clean, air is better than water unless you take it out.
Then check the security of the fan.
A loose drive belt will also cause the tranny to loose power as it heats up so check the belt for damage and all of the pulleys.
Not uncommon to find a frozen idler on a quite new machine.
A badly worn box can have it's death postoned by going to a heavier oil but most really need the fully synthetic oil and finding it in heavy grades is not easy.
I have had some luck using Syntrans 70-90 which is equivalent 30-60 engine oil as tranny oils use different scales to engine oils.
B
bertsmobile1
Does anyone know if there is a retro-fit to a better transmission? I bought a Husqvarna LGT2654 from Lowes a few years back. I'll say it has a short duty cycle of about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It starts with power (and less full speed than when it was new), then looses power during that time. I cut 2 1/2 acres. My lawn goes from slight grade to steeper grade. Now, I cut the low grade first.
The higher grade will cause the Garden (bs) tractor to quickly loose power to the point of not moving. So, I don't know the real problem. The transmission shows no signs of leakage. I'm questioning if the heavier loads are causing the transmission fluid (oil?) to over heat and loose viscosity??? Should the oil be replaced? Would a higher viscosity oil (thicker oil) improve performance or cause transmission damage?
I appreciate any help. Thanks.
Trannies have no seals so rely on very close fit between moving and non moving parts to allow the oil to maintian a seal.
Very small amounts of grit in the oil quickly destroy the surface finish.
Note the previous poster who rebuilt his & it failed in a very short time. This would have been due to dirt & dust that got in during the work.
When I do a tranniy it gets degreased, pressure washed, soda blasted then washed again and that is before the first bolt gets taken out.
The dissasembly gets done in the bathroom only after the room has been hosed out and the door is kept closed the entire time the tranny is in there.
If I have to leave then even in the "damp room" the open box gets covered with a damp shop towel.
Contry to what most posters write the usual culprit for early failure is running the engine too slow rather than controlling the speed with the foot pedals.
Hydro boxes need FULL PRESSURE & FULL OIL FLOW at all times to work properly
The second biggest killer is heat, the box needs to be kept clean and the fan must be in good condition, have all of the blades intact and actually be connected to the input shaft.
I could not count the number of times I get under a mower, grab the fan to find it rotating freely on the shaft because the splines have flogged out or the bolts fallen off.
Then there are the boxes that have enough dirt on them to grow potatoes .
So start by getting under & giving you box a good clean, air is better than water unless you take it out.
Then check the security of the fan.
A loose drive belt will also cause the tranny to loose power as it heats up so check the belt for damage and all of the pulleys.
Not uncommon to find a frozen idler on a quite new machine.
A badly worn box can have it's death postoned by going to a heavier oil but most really need the fully synthetic oil and finding it in heavy grades is not easy.
I have had some luck using Syntrans 70-90 which is equivalent 30-60 engine oil as tranny oils use different scales to engine oils.